


Sky

by SLWalker



Series: Arch to the Sky [33]
Category: due South
Genre: Arch to the Sky, Gen, Nipawin (1991-1995)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-20
Updated: 2011-08-20
Packaged: 2017-10-22 21:02:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/242543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SLWalker/pseuds/SLWalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>1995: Turnbull leaves Nipawin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sky

The air was cold and clear; pre-dawn in deep blues and a pale horizon. He didn't quite feel it, though; didn't really feel _anything_. He had plastered a smile on and begged off of a cup of herbal tea in the kitchen; had prattled something he barely heard about how moving was something anyone should be prepared for when they decided to join the Force to his landlady, who tried to pack him a lunch he didn't want.

His shocks creaked as he loaded the last box in the trunk, and then slammed it.

Guy stood in front of the car.

"Renfield," Guy said, taking a sip of what was presumably coffee or tea, the steam curling around his face to rise and dissipate.

They hadn't really spoken in weeks, and barely even then. Turnbull had no idea why the man was here now; for that matter, how he had even known to be. He blinked once, looked down at his trunk, then looked back up again. "Guy."

Guy pushed his marijuana leaf sunglasses up the bridge of his nose with his thumb, then sipped his coffee again. Apparently, he wasn't in any hurry to say anything else.

After a long moment of waiting in silence, Turnbull stepped around to the driver's side door. He had a very long drive ahead of him; there were three provinces and two countries between here and his new assignment. An entirely different world; an entirely different life.

The sky reflected off of the window.

He didn't know why he waited there, staring at the world reflected in glass. There was no point to waiting. Nothing to be gained for an extra minute, or two, or ten. Nothing to be gained by a day. Nothing. He didn't know why he waited. He didn't want Guy to say anything; didn't want to say anything himself. Didn't want to break this silence, didn't want to grasp desperately at this in some pathetic hope that he would be able to hang onto it for just long enough. It wasn't his to hang onto any longer.

The beginning of another day. He wouldn't be here to see the end of it.

He tightened his hand on the door handle, closing his eyes; to the reflection, to the long drive ahead. To the facts and the transfer orders and to Guy. Kept them closed, to his memory of pride and quiet contentment. To his _town_ , to his _home_ , to his _life_.

To believing it was forever.

To leaving it now.

He breathed in slow, then tipped his head back and opened his eyes.

The air was cold and clear, pre-dawn in deep blues and a pale horizon. The last of the morning's stars were fading, and his breath was steam that drifted up and faded with them. Prairie sky; it stretched so wide that there was no real beginning nor end. He had never conceived of such a thing where he had come from, and knew that there would be no such thing where he was going.

Nipawin's sky.

His sky.

"Au revoir, mon ami," Guy said, quietly.

He left Nipawin at his back as the sun came up red, like a blood trail in the snow.


End file.
